1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrical receptacles and, more particularly, is concerned with grounded and isolated electrical receptacle assemblies employing interchangeable receptacle body and base components and right, left and middle contact members as well as one-piece contact members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grounded and isolated (or non-grounded) duplex electrical receptacle assemblies heretofore manufactured and marketed by Hubbell Incorporated of Orange, Connecticut, the assignee of the subject application, are respectively illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The grounded and isolated receptacle assemblies A, B employ a first group of components that are substantially the same and thereby interchangeable, and a second group of components that are not the same and thereby not interchangeable. The first group of components in each grounded and isolated assembly A, B includes a receptacle body C and right and left contact members D, E (also commonly referred to in the industry as "line" contacts). The second group of components includes a receptacle base F, a support bridge G, a pair of middle contact elements H (also commonly referred to in the industry as "center" contacts) and a ground tab I of the grounded receptacle assembly A, and a receptacle base J, insulator plate K, middle contact member L and support bridge M of the isolated receptacle assembly B. Neither the respective receptacle bases F, J nor the respective support bridges G, M of the grounded and isolated receptacle assemblies A, B are interchangeable with one another. This means that three interchangeable and eight non-interchangeable, or a total of eleven, components, must be manufactured, inventoried, handled and assembled to provide the grounded and isolated receptacle assemblies A, B.
Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 1-6, even though the right and left contact members D, E of one receptacle assembly A, B are interchangeable with the right and left contact members D, E of the other receptacle assembly A, B, the right and left contact members D, E are each made up of multiple parts which must be manufactured, inventoried, handled and assembled to provide the respective right and left contact members D, E. The same is true with respect to the non-interchangeable middle contacts. For example, the middle contact elements H and the ground tab I of the grounded receptacle assembly A which are mounted on the support bridge G require rivets N to attach them to the support bridge G, while the middle contact member L of the isolated receptacle assembly B includes contact elements O and rivets P to mount them on a binding plate R.
Consequently, a need exists for improvements in the design and construction of grounded and isolated electrical receptacle assemblies that will overcome the aforementioned drawbacks without introducing new drawbacks in their place.